Tufting machine clamp cutter



Aug. 22, 1961 H.'w. BALLARD 2,997,009

TUFTING MACHINE CLAMP CUTTER Filed March 12, 1958 FIGI.

INVENroR: l5

United States Patent O 2,997,009 TUFTING MACHINE CLAMP CUTTER Hyde W.Ballard, West Chester, Pa., assigner to James Lees and Sons Company,Bridgeport, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 12, 1958, Ser.No. 720,877 Claims. (Cl. 112-79) 'Ihis invention relates to pile fabrictufting machines and more particularly to apparatus for intermittentlyproducing uncut pile projections in accordance with a predeterminedpattern.

So-called skip-stitch tufting machines are well known for producingintermittently tufted pile fabrics such as bedspreads, floor coverings,etc. These machines have in the past operated only with cut pile becauseit has been considered impossible or impractical to carry a length ofuncut pile yarn on the back of the fabric across the void areas. Wherethe pile is all cut, the last leg of a eut loop would be pulled ont andwhatever tail would be left over when the particular needle or needlesagain resume the formation of pile could be trimmed off either manuallyor by a special attachment. In the case of pile projections which areintended to remain uncut in the form of loops, such la procedureobviously could not be employed because7 even though the yarns werecarried on the back of the fabric when the particular tufting needle wasretracted in accordance with the pattern mechanism, the tension due tothe advancing on the fabric would pull out or ravel all the previouslyinserted loops in that particular row.

The present invention overcomes the above disadvantages by cutting thepile yarn soon Kafter the last loop of the series has been tufted. Thecutter retains the end of the yarn in a spring clip or tension fingerwith sufficient tension to insure that the cut end will not be pulledthrough the eye of the needle when tufting in the particular row or rowsis resumed.

A primary object of the invention, therefore, is to provide meanspositioned over the presser foot of a tufting machine and in line with atufting needle for intercepting and gripping la pile yarn when saidneedle is retained in an inoperative position.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for cutting a pileyarn fed through the eye of a tufting needle when the needle is retainedin a retracted position and after the fabric has advanced beyond lapredetermined distance.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for cuttingselected ends of yarn in a pile fabric tufting machine and preventingravelling of previously tnfted pile projectlons.

Further objects will be apparent from the specification and drawings inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic longitudinal section of a portion of a tuftingmachine constructed in accordance with the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is a view showing a part of the structure of FIGURE l with the`apparatus in a moved position and just prior to the formation of -avoid in the uncut pile projections,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional detail showing the operation of themechanism at the beginning of a void and in a slightly advanced positionthan seen in FIG- URE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a view showing lthe apparatus of FIG- URE 1 when the tuftingof loop pile projections is resumed after a void,

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional detail as seen at 5-5 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional detail as seen at 6-6 of FIGURE 5, and

Patented Aug.22, 1961 FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional detail as seenat 7 7 of FIGURE 2.

The invention comprises essentially the provision of means supported onor adjacent the presser foot of a loop pile tufting machine whichenables la skip-stitch attachment to be used without cutting the pileprojections. When one or more of the tufting needles in a skip-stitchmachine is held in an upwardly retracted position to prevent insertionof pile projections through the backing fabric, the yarn end carried bysuch retracted or inoperative needle is clipped or cut and retaineduntil the pattern calls for operation of the needle again.

Referring now to the drawings, a pile fabric tufting machine is shownschematically in FIGURE 1 in which a vertically oscillating needle bar10 carries anywhere from 1 to 120() tufting needles 11 and retainedtherein by means of setscrews 12. The pile yarn Y is fed from a sourcenot shown through a guide 13 and thence to the eye 14 of needle 11. Thebacking fabric F is fed across a throat plate 15 in the usual manner anda presser foot assembly 16 serves to retain the fabric on the throatplate. A non-cutting looper 1'7 is oscillatably mounted to engage theyarn Y as it is inserted through the fabric F by needles 11. Looper 17is provided with a bill 18 which faces in the direction of fabric traveland forms la series of uncut pile projections or loops L, L which may beof various heights in accordance with a predetermined pattern ifdesired. A series of lower loops L', L is shown at the left of FIGURE 1.

The present tufting machine is of the type commonly referred to as askipastitch machine in which means is provided for disengaging one ormore of the needles 11 from the actuating mechanism. In this conditionthe needles are retained in an upwardly retracted position. Suchmachines for cut pile are well known and form no part of the presentinvention. However, when it is desired to operate a skip-stitch Imachinewithout cutting the pile projections, complications have arisen whichhave prevented the use of such -machines for loop pile fabrics. Iprovide a spring loaded clamp assembly 20 which may be mounted on thepresser foot bracket 21 or elsewhere on the tufting machine. The springclip assembly shown clearly in FIGURE 7 comprises a pair of resilientlingers 22 and 23 which flare outwardly to engage a particular yarn endin its path from a retracted needle 24 to the fabric F (FIGURE 2). Asthe fabric F continues to feed to the left in FIGURE 2, the yarn Y fromretracted needle 24 advances between the lingers 22 and 23 and ispressed and retained therein. The fingers are mounted on a bracket 2'5by means of a suitable bolt or other connection 26 and the tensionbetween the fingers may be adjusted by means of screw 27. As the fabricF continues to move to the left the last pile loop projection 28 (FIGURE3) is held under the -leading edge 29 of the presser foot 16 and atapproximately the same time the yarn Y becomes engaged in and is severedby a cutter 30 secured to the bottom of the lingers 22 and 23.

The cutter assembly 30 may be of any desired shape or location bearingin mind the pressure needed to retain the yarn in fingers 22 and 23` aswell as the pressure of the presser foot needed to retain the last loop28 in the fabric F. One form of such a `cutter has biased scissorlikeblades 31 and 32 which are secured to opposite fingers 22 and 23 so thatas the yarn Y enters the V between blades 31 and 32 any pressure tendsto press fingers 22. and 23 more firmly against the yarn Y. Undercertain conditions, it may be preferred to provide independentelectrical or mechanical cutting means, or electrical or mechanicalactuation for the cutting means 30 but ordinarily such is not required.Such a device is indicated `diagrannnatically as actuated by means of anelectrical vibrating coil 35 secured to the cutter assembly 30. Highfrequency oscillation of the cutters may be helpful in certainconditions.

The device is inexpensive, simple, and permits an entirely new designarea to be explored in the manufacture 0f pile fabrics Where voids inloop pile projections are indicated. v

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a pile fabric tufting machine the combination which comprises anoscillating pile yarn needle, a throat plate over which a backing fabricis fed to be penetrated by said needle and said pile yarn when normallytufting, a presser foot to retain and hold ldown the backing fabricagainst the throat plate, a yarn engaging looper oscillatable below thethroat plate to form pile projections spaced from said throat plate, afixed stationary clamp mounted in spaced relation to the path of needleoscillation and positioned to engage and retain the pile yarn when saidyarn is displaced to a nontufting position, and a cutter secured to theclamp for severing the pile yarn when moved to a further displacednon-tufting position.

2. A pile fabric tufting machine comprising at least one oscillatingpile yarn needle, a throat plate penetrated by said needle, a yarnengaging looper oscillatable below the throat plate to form pileprojections spaced from said throat plate, a presser foot for holding abacking fabric against the throat plate and in line with Ithe path oftravel of the needle, said path of travel of the needle defining anormal pile forming path for the yarn passing therethrough, a stationaryclamp positioned in close spaced relation to said path of travel ltointercept yarn secured in the needle at one end and to the fabric at theother end when said fabric has progressed to a moved position, and fixedstationary cutter means for severing `the yarn between the clamp and thepresser foot after the yarn has been engaged by the clamp.

3. Apparatus in `accordance with claim 1 in which the clamp comprises apair of resilient spring fingers.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 in which the clamp comprises apair of resilient spring fingers.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 having means for yvibrating thecutting means.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS692,662 Van Den Heuvel Feb. 4, 1902 1,332,683 Ray Mar. 2, 1920 1,352,514Hill Sept. 14, 1920 1,358,847 Hill Nov. 16, 1920 1,592,115 Lindgren July13, 1926 1,984,332 Boyce Dec. 11, 1934 1,987,964 McCann Jan. 15, 19352,171,825 Bradwell Sept. 5, 1939 2,218,123 Smith Oct. 15, 1940 2,296,190Runge Sept. l5, 1942 2,572,143 Hazelton Oct. 23, 1951 2,717,568 HaasSept. 13, 1955

